Ta'anit 2 - 8
Issue # 287
Parshat Shoftim
Week of 27 Av - 3 Elul 5759 / 9 - 15 August 1999
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The Three Keys
The keys to three of Hashem's treasure houses were not placed in the hands
of any agent, states Rabbi Yochanan. The keys to rain, childbirth and
resurrection of the dead are held by Hashem alone.
Tosefot poses the challenge that the key to rain was given to the
Prophet Eliyahu (Masechta Sanhedrin 113a) which enabled him to declare
(Melachim I 17:1) "during these years there shall be no dew or rain save
upon my word." Tosefot's resolution is that this was only a temporary
transfer of power.
Rashi seems to have anticipated this challenge by explaining that all
three keys have never been placed in the hands of an agent at one time.
This is a subtle reference to what the aforementioned gemara describes as
the aftermath of Eliyahu's withholding rain to punish an idol-worshipping
country and king. Immediately after a passage describing the drying up of
the nation's water supply, another passage relates that Hashem commanded
Eliyahu to go to the home of a widow in the city of Tzorfat where he was
soon faced with the challenge of resurrecting her dead child (Melachim I
17:7-22). There is a connection, our Sages say, between these two events.
When Hashem decided that the people had suffered enough from Eliyahu's
withholding of rain, He arranged for Eliyahu to be placed in a situation of
attempting resurrection. Eliyahu prayed that Hashem give him the key to
resurrection so he could restore life to the child of the widow who had
shown him so much hospitality. Hashem's response was that He alone had
control of the three aforementioned keys, and the one to rain had already
been given to the prophet. If Eliyahu were to receive the key to
resurrection as well, it would result in the absurd situation of two keys
being in the hand of the servant and only one in the hand of the Master.
Eliyahu was thus compelled to return the key to rain, and the next chapter
(Melachim I 18:1) begins with Hashem restoring rain to the land.
* Ta'anit 2a
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The Human Serpent
In the hereafter, says Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, all the animals will
assemble to thus challenge the serpent: "The lion eats its victim on the
spot and the wolf drags it away to its lair for consumption. All animals
that kill man enjoy the fruits of their slaying. But you only inject your
venom to kill him. What benefit do you have from this to motivate you?"
The serpent's response will be to direct them to the gossiper whose
evil tongue slays his victim. "What benefit," he will ask, "does he have
from the damage he does?"
This dialogue of the future may be understood as more than trading
one question for another. Until the original serpent committed the crime
of persuading the first man and woman to eat from the forbidden fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge, he walked about on two feet like man. As
punishment, he was condemned to crawl upon his belly and to be in eternal
mortal conflict with man. This conflict is described in the Torah
(Bereishet 3:15) as man's efforts to trample upon the serpent's head and
the serpent's efforts to strike at man's heel.
Ever since his fall, the serpent envies the upright position of man
which he once enjoyed. Aware that he can never regain that position
because of the Divine curse upon him, the serpent tries to do the next best
thing -- to bring man down to his level by injecting his venom into his
body.
When the serpent of the future -- expressing the frustration of all
serpents back to the beginning of time -- directs his challengers to the
evil-tongued gossiper, he is offering them an example of his own conduct on
a human level. What motivates a man to assassinate the character of one
whom he envies through his evil tongue is the desire to bring his victim
down to his own level in the eyes of his listeners. This, concludes the
serpent, explains his motivation as well.
* Ta'anit 8a
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